What PAFA does

PAFA (Pacific Auxiliary Fire Alarm), founded in 1940 and headquartered at 95 Boutwell Street in San Francisco, is a commercial fire protection, life safety, and security services firm serving Bay Area commercial properties. Since 2022 the company has operated as a wholly-owned division of RapidFire Safety & Security, a St. Louis-headquartered platform founded by Mike McLeod and Colin Harrold and backed by Concentric Equity Partners (the investing arm of Financial Investments Corp., a family office with over $2 billion in AUM). PAFA designs, installs, inspects, and maintains fire alarm systems (NFPA 72 compliant), automatic sprinkler systems, portable fire extinguishers, and clean-agent and kitchen-hood suppression systems, alongside integrated security offerings including access control and keyless entry, video surveillance, intrusion detection, intercom, mass notification, mobile surveillance units, and 24/7 UL-listed alarm monitoring.

The company's core technology stack is services-oriented rather than software-defined: certified technicians deliver on-site design, installation, testing, and documentation using industry-standard hardware (cloud-based access control platforms, fixed and mobile cameras, UL-listed monitoring center infrastructure). PAFA retains its brand identity under the RapidFire umbrella while accessing shared multi-state licensing, centralized monitoring, and cross-sell into the parent's commercial customer base. RapidFire discloses enterprise logos including VRBO, Saint Louis Zoo, NASA, Golden State Warriors, Extra Space Storage, Clayco, Whole Foods, and Costco, signaling the platform's reach across high-value commercial accounts.

PAFA's revenue model is professional services-based. Pricing is quote-based rather than publicly disclosed, reflecting project-specific scope and equipment specifications. Revenue mechanics combine (i) one-time installation project revenue (fire alarm, sprinkler, suppression, access control, surveillance) and (ii) recurring inspection, maintenance, and monitoring contracts tied to NFPA and California State Fire Marshal compliance cycles. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales targeting commercial property owners, facility managers, and business operators, supplemented by referrals and the RapidFire parent brand. Customer segmentation is horizontal across all commercial industries rather than vertical-specific.

Name

PAFA

Legal name

Pacific Auxiliary Fire Alarm

Website

https://pafa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PAFA (Pacific Auxiliary Fire Alarm), founded 1940 in San Francisco, is a commercial fire protection, life safety, and security services firm serving Bay Area properties. Since 2022 it has operated as a division of RapidFire Safety & Security, a multi-state platform backed by Concentric Equity Partners, delivering fire alarm, sprinkler, suppression, access control, surveillance, and monitoring services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fire Protection and Security Services

akta.pro primary industry

Fire Protection Systems Contracting (Sprinklers, Alarms, Suppression) (IMAFALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fire Alarm Systems (Inspection/Testing/Monitoring/Service) (IMAIAJAC), Fire Sprinkler & Standpipe Systems (Design/Install/Service/Testing) (BPABAHAB), Fire & Life Safety Services (Inspection/Testing/Sprinklers/Alarms) (IMAIAAAI)

Keywords

• Fire protection services
• Commercial security systems
• Fire alarm installation
• Access control systems
• Video surveillance services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Fire Protection Services: Design, installation, maintenance, and monitoring of fire alarm systems, fire sprinklers, fire extinguishers, and fire suppression systems for commercial properties.
2. Security Systems Services: Access control, video surveillance, and intrusion detection system installation and monitoring services for commercial customers.
3. Inspection and Compliance Services: Regular inspection and maintenance services to ensure fire and security systems meet NFPA standards and local fire marshal requirements.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

PAFA (Pacific Auxiliary Fire Alarm) is a commercial fire protection and security services provider based in San Francisco, operating as a division of RapidFire Safety & Security since its 2022 acquisition. The company designs, installs, inspects, maintains, and monitors fire alarm systems, fire sprinklers, fire extinguishers, fire suppression systems, and integrated security solutions (video surveillance, access control, intrusion detection) for commercial properties in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Product overview

RapidFire Safety & Security operates PAFA (Pacific Auxiliary Fire Alarm) as a division providing comprehensive fire protection and security services to commercial enterprises. The offering is structured as a unified service portfolio rather than a software platform, combining four core fire system products (fire alarm systems, fire sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers, and fire suppression systems including kitchen hood systems) with four core security products (video surveillance, access control & keyless entry, intrusion detection systems, and mobile surveillance units). Add-on services include 24/7 fire alarm monitoring, cloud-based access control management, intercom systems, and mass notification systems. All services are delivered through certified technicians with coverage across California, Texas, Illinois, Missouri, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fire Alarm Systems Early-detection fire alarm systems compliant with NFPA 72 standards and local fire codes, providing rapid smoke and fire threat detection and notification to occupants and emergency responders. Sold and serviced for commercial properties through certified technicians.
• Fire Sprinkler Systems Automatic sprinkler installations designed to control flames and suppress fires until emergency responders arrive, minimizing property damage in commercial facilities. Includes design, installation, inspection, and maintenance services.
• Fire Extinguisher Services Comprehensive fire extinguisher services including placement, annual inspection, recharging, and hydrostatic testing to maintain code-compliant portable fire protection for commercial properties.
• Fire Suppression Systems Clean agent fire suppression systems that protect server rooms, commercial kitchens, and areas where water-based suppression could cause harm, including kitchen hood fire suppression. Delivered as a turnkey service for commercial facilities.
• Video Surveillance Professional video surveillance system design, installation, and maintenance for commercial properties, including fixed camera installations, mobile surveillance units, and cloud-based remote monitoring capabilities.
• Access Control & Keyless Entry Systems Cloud-based access control systems featuring card and credential management, mobile credentials, real-time monitoring, and integration with video surveillance and fire alarm systems for commercial facilities.
• Intrusion Detection Systems Security systems including burglar alarms, motion sensors, door contacts, glass-break detectors, and perimeter security solutions that detect unauthorized entry attempts and trigger alerts for commercial properties.
• Fire Alarm Monitoring UL-listed 24/7 alarm monitoring services meeting NFPA requirements, providing instant detection, automatic emergency dispatch, and professional monitoring center support for commercial fire alarm systems.

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Telgian: Telgian provides fire and life-safety consulting, design, testing, inspection, maintenance, and monitoring services. Its compliance-led service model closely parallels PAFA's inspection and maintenance activities.
• Impact Fire Services: Impact Fire Services is a national fire-protection and life-safety contractor covering inspection, testing, maintenance, repair, and installation. Its recurring compliance services and commercial orientation are directly comparable to PAFA.
• Sciens Building Solutions: Sciens is a national fire and life-safety systems provider offering design, installation, testing, maintenance, and monitoring. Its route-based service model and commercial customer focus closely match PAFA's integrated offering.
• Pavion: Pavion integrates fire, security, and communications technologies for commercial and public-sector customers. Its end-to-end design, installation, service, and monitoring capabilities directly overlap PAFA's portfolio.
• Convergint: Convergint is a global systems integrator focused on electronic security, fire alarm, life safety, and related building systems. It competes for many of the same commercial integration and service engagements as PAFA.
• Koorsen Fire & Security: Koorsen provides commercial fire protection, fire alarms, sprinklers, suppression, extinguishers, security systems, inspection, and monitoring. Its combined fire-and-security service model is closely aligned with PAFA.
• Everon: Everon, formerly ADT Commercial, is a national commercial security and fire-life-safety provider with installation, monitoring, and service capabilities. It serves the same enterprise and commercial customer needs as PAFA.
• Unlimited Technology: Unlimited Technology provides commercial security, fire and life-safety, video surveillance, access control, and related integration services. Its broad systems-integration model and enterprise customer base make it highly comparable to PAFA.

Broad incumbents

• Johnson Controls: Johnson Controls is a global building-technology incumbent with fire alarm, suppression, security, access control, and building-automation offerings. It is broader than PAFA but competes for similar commercial fire and security budgets.
• Allied Universal Technology Services: Allied Universal Technology Services provides electronic access control, video surveillance, intrusion detection, fire and life safety, and monitoring as part of a larger security-services platform. Its broader scale and portfolio overlap substantially with PAFA's security and fire capabilities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rapid-fire-safety-security
• Facebookfacebook.com/PAFACo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PAFA